Classics 280: An Introduction To Ancient Greek History

Classics 280 is an Introduction to Ancient Greek History. It does not focus on mythologies or the daily lives of the Ancient Greeks, rather, the course focuses on “the political and military history of ancient Greece, as well as its contributions to the modern world” (CITE). Students are not required to memorize ‘trivia’, instead this class focuses on teaching students “skills in historical analysis, oral debate, and the written presentation of [their] ideas” (CITE). To help students hone in on the above skills, we have the following assignments: two papers which ask students to position themselves in the time period they are writing on and interpret the actions of the people living in that era two exams which require students to analyze

This is evident throughout the syllabus (for example, in placing analytical questions at the top of the syllabus), but is most prominent in the choice of books.Herodotus and Thucydides were widely respected Ancient Greek Historians, but a translated, and therefore indirect copy of their texts involve the loss of some accuracy, however, by opting for a prestige publisher (Oxford World Classics), we reduce this risk by ensuring the text is well-translated. Not only does translating a text to the standards held by Oxford World Classics require a fluent understanding of Greek, it also requires a careful analysis of the language and the events at the time to provide the reader with the author 's meaning (over a direct translation). This favouring of analysis is also evident in the inclusion of both historical texts and a modern one, as this allows students to examine history from different perspectives. To counteract the personalized writing and the bias of Herodotus and Thucydides, and to provide a different, less personal, way of looking at history, students also read Nancy Demand’s A History of Ancient Greece in its Mediterranean Context. The textbook was not chosen based on its prestige, but rather because it is clearly written textbook and avoids usage of over complicated language. This is in contrast to Herodotus’ and Thucydides’ texts which often ramble. The reading list and course objectives show an effort to get as close to history as possible by using historical accounts and a modern analysis of history. This attempt demonstrates Dr. Pownall’s goal of creating a holistic view of history by choosing well-translated (and therefore as accurate as possible) sources along with a detailed overview in the form of a modern